The WAB Brighton Power Rankings: November 2021
Did you miss him? We certainly did. Tariq Lamptey returned to the Brighton starting XI in November after 10 months out injured and he was the best player on the pitch in all three outings.
That has been well and truly recognised as he completes the double – topping the WAB Power Rankings based on post-game player ratings having earlier been voted as our November 2021 Player of the Month.
Lamptey’s performances aside, there was precious little else to cheer for Albion fans in the third month of the season. Brighton failed to win a game or score a goal from open play, despite facing three winnable fixtures.
Bottom of the table Newcastle United left the Amex with a 1-1 draw. Aston Villa ended a five game losing streak by beating the Albion 2-0 at Villa Park. And The Leeds United held Brighton 0-0 despite being battered for 80 minutes.
The only time the Seagulls found the back of the net came via the penalty spot. Leandro Trossard earned and then converted against the Saudi Sportswashers, on his way to being the second best Brighton player in November after Lamptey.
Here is how the 19 individuals who pulled on the stripes were scored out of 100 for their efforts.
1) Tariq Lamptey – 77.00
Having spent longer than a pregnancy on the sidelines, some Brighton fans wondered whether he would return the same explosive talent who took the Premier League by storm last season. November answered those doubts. Tore Newcastle apart. Created more chances than the other 21 players on the pitch combined in the first half against Leeds. Substituted at Villa with Brighton dominant and the score 0-0. 15 minutes later and it finished Villa 2-0 Brighton.
2) Leandro Trossard – 71.98
November is normally the time when warm weather specialist Trossard goes into hiding, just as his idol Paul Brooker used to. Not this year, though. Scored Brighton’s only goal of the month and excelled in the difficult false nine role, where he was expected to both finish chances and create them. His form this season has not gone unnoticed with Barcelona said to be readying a £30 million January bid.
3) Marc Cucurella – 68.58
The Spaniard ranking third means that November 2021 is the first time ever when the best three in the Power Rankings correlate to the top three in the Player of the Month vote. A lively presence at Villa flashing crosses into the box which nobody could get on the end of. Showed the defensive side of his game when Leeds came to town and he kept the dangerous Raphina quiet.
4) Lewis Dunk – 66.85
Kept a clean sheet as a defender against Leeds and a clean sheet as a goalkeeper against Newcastle. A consistent presence in a back line which frequently shifted in terms of both shape and personnel.
5) Yves Bissouma – 66.78
A quieter month by his normal high standards. That should hardly come as a surprise given the ongoing police investigation he is involved in. There was a certain irony over Newcastle fans booing him whilst at the same time waving around flags in celebration of a Saudi nation who tortures, suffocates and then dismembers its critics.
6) Adam Webster – 61.87
His introduction from the bench with Brighton trying to find a goal against Newcastle was an interesting change from Graham Potter. Restored to the starting XI against Villa but as always, it takes him a while to shake the ring rust when he returns from injury.
7) Solly March – 57.83
With the left wing back berth now Cucurella’s, March found himself starting in either a free role behind Trossard in Potter’s false nine formation or coming off the bench. Struggled to make much impact.
8) Neal Maupay – 47.62
More than a few eyebrows were raised when Potter said he had dropped his top scorer to try and spark a reaction as to most observers, four goals from the opening eight games was a good return that did not require a kick up the backside. As a confidence player, Maupay surely needed to be kept in the team and scoring. Did not look the same when he was recalled, culminating in some horror misses against Leeds.
9) Jakub Moder – 43.81
The best Brighton midfield player at Villa in his first start of November, creating three good chances. A lively presence the following week when Leeds came to the Amex, although several squandered opportunities saw him marked down.
10) Robert Sanchez – 42.48
Three big saves in the final 10 minutes prevented Leeds leaving Sussex with the ultimate smash-and-grab. Took one for the team when tripping Callum Wilson as the Newcastle forward ran clear, picking up a red card for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. That stopped the embarrassing scenario of Brighton becoming the first side to lose to the Toon this season.
11) Joel Veltman – 41.27
Endured one of his poorest Brighton performances against Newcastle. Dropped for Villa, he returned for the Leeds game where his steady presence on the right side of defence allowed Lamptey to attack with such freedom.
12) Shane Duffy – 40.95
Decent displays in the first two games of November from a player who has been one of the best for Brighton so far this season. It seemed harsh to leave him out for the Leeds game but Potter’s decision was justified with a clean sheet.
13) Adam Lallana – 39.70
Lallana being a virtual ever-present up until now despite his injury record seems to have flown under the radar somewhat. Tiredness maybe creeping up on him however, as he was nowhere near his best during November. Rested for the visit of Leeds as a result.
14) Pascal Gross – 38.62
It is an established fact that Brighton struggle to win games when Gross is not involved. That record continued against Newcastle when he was an unused sub. To be fair, the Albion didn’t beat Villa or Leeds when Potter put him back in the starting XI either. It was one of those months.
15) Jason Steele – 23.33
Who would have thought that Jason Steele would be making his Premier League debut at the age of 31? It was going to go one of two ways – heroic or comedic. Somewhat surprisingly, it was the first as Steele made three excellent saves to prevent the scoreline at Villa Park becoming a hammering.
16) Jeremy Sarmiento – 20.88
Another who made his Premier League bow in November, albeit at a very different end of the age scale to Steele. The teenage forward had a couple of positive runs during his cameo against Leeds, including one which could only be ended by a cynical foul.
17) Enock Mwepu – 17.92
Part of the reason Trossard as a false nine worked in October was because Mwepu was buzzing around behind as a number 10. Managed only the opening 45 minutes of the Newcastle game before injury struck. Without him, the formation was nowhere near as effective.
18) Alexis Mac Allister – 15.00
Replaced Mwepu for the second half of the Newcastle game. Remained on the bench otherwise, meaning his only other November contribution was to look like he had a pair of Pat Butcher earrings on thanks to the background of his seat in the dugout at Villa Park. To be fair, this was arguably the highlight of a sorry afternoon.
19) Jurgen Locadia – 12.46
Lol.
The WAB Power Rankings are formulated through our matchday player scores. To play your part, make sure to follow us on Twitter and leave your post game player ratings in the relevant thread.
